BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
As part of efforts to position Nigeria as a regional aerospace and aviation services hub, President Bola Tinubu has endorsed the proposal of world aircraft-maker, Airbus to establish maintenance and hangar facilities in the country.
This was even as Tinubu emphasised the urgent need for modern helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft capable of supporting security operations, logistics, and national development priorities, in furtherance of his administration's effort to end the intractable security challenges.
The President spoke on Thursday, during a meeting with a delegation from Airbus, led by Head of Regional Business Growth Africa and the Middle East, Thierry Cloutet, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.
He informed the delegation that his administration was determined to scale up the cordial relationship between both parties, leveraging the company's comparative advantage in military aircraft and aerospace development.
The President called for the accelerated delivery of the three Apache helicopters already ordered by Nigeria to support ongoing security and counterterrorism operations, underscoring his administration's determination to deploy all assets against terrorists across the nation.
"Nigeria needs attack helicopters urgently that can be used to confront and overwhelm terrorists. That is my priority now," President Tinubu said.
The acquisition of the Airbus C-295 platform, broader defence aviation cooperation, as well as aircraft leasing and financing models, including export credit arrangements, sale-and-lease-back structures, and long-term aircraft financing solutions aimed at improving airlines' access to aircraft and reducing sector financing constraints, were also discussed.
In furtherance of strengthening the existing relationship between the company and Nigeria, President Tinubu also discussed with the Airbus delegation the possibility of establishing an aviation leasing company to unlock value along Nigeria’s aviation value chain and improve financing access for domestic operators.
Cloutet commended President Tinubu's economic reforms and the efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s aviation sector.
He reaffirmed the company’s interest in supporting the country’s long-term aerospace development objectives.
In support of the administration's policy to modernise the nation's Aviation sector, Cloutet proposed what he described as a '360-degree engagement' model with Nigeria.
He said that the engagement will cover commercial aviation, military aircraft cooperation, human capital development, sustainability initiatives, operational hubs and maintenance infrastructure.
It will also include collaboration on satellite and Earth observation.
This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in Abuja.
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